Help Save the Environment and Save Energy

Recycling not only saves on landfill space; it also saves energy and resources, while helping the environment. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it almost always takes less energy to make a product from recycled materials. For example, making aluminum cans out of recycled aluminum scrap uses 95 percent less energy than making them from bauxite ore, and recycling one glass container saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

In addition, recycling usually produces less pollution than creating the material in the first place. For example, making new glass out of old glass creates 20 percent less air pollution and 50 percent less water pollution. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 42 percent of all paper, 40 percent of plastic soft drink bottles, 55 percent of aluminum cans and 57 percent of steel packaging are now recycled.

A simple form of recycling is composting your kitchen waste, leaves and grass clippings. Adding compost is a great way to improve Georgia's clay soil. For more information, check with your county extension agent for information like "Composting and Mulching – A Guide to Managing Organic Landscape Refuse" from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

What happens to the items you recycle? Corrugated cardboard often becomes new boxes, and newspapers are recycled into more newspapers. Old glass bottles become new glass bottles or find their way into products such as glass tiles and fiberglass. Plastic bottles are recycled into such products as fleece fabric, plastic lumber and rugs.

Recycling is also important at work. Offices can recycle white and mixed paper, cardboard, glass and aluminum, plus things like printer cartridges. Earth 911™ (www.Earth911.org), a clearinghouse for recycling information, has a guide for implementing a recycling program at small and medium-sized businesses.

Another way to support recycling is to buy products made from recycled materials. Look for "recycled" on labels, and get the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled content you can find. (Other recycled content is usually waste from creating the product.) Paper with recycled content is widely available, and some products are in plastic bottles with recycled content.

A little of your time spent to sort out recyclables creates a big win for the environment.

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Recycling in Your Area

Almost every county in Georgia has some type of recycling program. Check with your county government or waste pick-up company to find out what can be recycled and how to do it.

Banks County Recycling and Processing Center
http://ngrma.org/_wsn/page5.html

Barrow County Clean and Beautiful
www.barrowga.org/kbb/kbb.html

Athens-Clarke County Recycling Division
www.acc-recycle.org

Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful
www.gwinnettcb.org

Hall County Recycling
www.hallcounty.org/recycling

Jackson County Solid Waste Department
www.jacksoncountygov.com/solidwaste/recycle.html

Madison County Government
www.madisoncountyga.us/Dir/Departments/Recycling-Center/20/

Walton County Recycling
www.waltoncountyga.org/PWorks/Recycling.html